Selectively bendable remote gripping tool

ABSTRACT

A hand-held gripping device that allows one of a surgeon, a dentist, and an orthodontist to reach interior portions of a person&#39;s anatomy, includes a gripping portion having a pair of jaws movable relative to each other between fully clamped and fully opened positions thereof, a handle portion spaced apart from the jaw portion by a bendable central portion that has a hollow, bendable corrugated with at least one cord extending therethrough.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/539,021, filed on Nov. 12, 2014, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/535,539, filed onNov. 7, 2014 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,095,127, issued Aug. 4, 2015), whichis a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/290,207, filed on May 29, 2014 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,985,659, issuedMar. 24, 2015), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/163,521 filed on Jan. 24, 2014 (now U.S. Pat.No. 8,833,817, issued Sep. 16, 2014), which is a continuation-in-partapplication of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/078,830 filed on Nov.13, 2013 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,807,615, issued Aug. 19, 2014), which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/771,813filed on Feb. 20, 2013 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,585,114, issued Nov. 19,2013), and claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser.No. 61/601,789, filed on Feb. 22, 2012. This application also seekspriority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/462,798, filed Aug. 8,2013. This application is also a continuation-in-part ofPCT/US2013/054275 having an international filing date of Aug. 9, 2013and a priority date of Feb. 20, 2013. The entire disclosure of the priorapplications are considered to be part of the disclosure of theaccompanying application and are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a selectively bendable remoteaccess gripping tool that includes a jaw portion having a pair of jawsor nets movable relative to each other between clamped and openedpositions thereof, a handle portion spaced apart from the jaw portion bya bendable central portion that has a hollow, corrugated member that isbendable, and a cord extending through the hollow bendable member thatconnects the jaw portion and the handle portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Hand-held gripping devices for picking up and gripping objects have beenknown for years and typically employ a jaw portion and a handle portionspaced apart by a central portion. Such “grippers” typically havefixed-length central portions, although some have two part constructionthat permits a pivot point around the central portion of the device sothat it can be stored more easily, and still others have telescopingportions to facilitate adjustable-length central portions.

In other related fields, such as surgery, dentistry and orthodontia,professionals often have a desire to reach interior portions of aperson's anatomy to grasp objects, tissue, etc. Many prior art devicesto achieve such objectives are linear with grasping jaws, while stillothers have a flexible portion that facilitates some angularadjustments. Such tools, however, are often complicated in terms ofconstruction, often employing rails and jointed connections that rotaterelative to each other to facilitate desired flexibility of the toolalong at least an extent thereof. A simpler, cost effective, lightweight and versatile tool is therefore desired that can facilitate suchprofessional's procedures involving reaching into interior portions of aperson's anatomy to grasp objects, tissue, etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In various embodiments, the present invention is directed to a hand-heldgripping device that allows one of a surgeon, a dentist, and anorthodontist to reach interior portions of a person's anatomy, andincludes a gripping portion having a pair of jaws movable relative toeach other between fully clamped and fully opened positions thereof, ahandle portion spaced apart from the jaw portion by a bendable centralportion that has a hollow, bendable corrugated portion with at least onecord extending therethrough and a lamp or LED positioned near thegripping portion.

In certain preferred embodiments, the central column of the devicecomprises a corrugated segment comprising a plurality of interconnectedconnectors, such as “loc-line” plastic elements. For certain embodimentsthat include the use of particular linked plastic components thatcomprise the flexible portion of the device, incorporated entirely bythis reference are U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,155 to Lockwood; U.S. Pat. No.5,778,939 to Hok-Yin; U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,146 to Pimental et al.; andU.S. Pat. No. 7,533,906 to Luettgen.

The handle portion comprises a first manually-actuatable triggeroperatively connected to the gripping portion by a pull member at leastsubstantially disposed within the central portion. Actuation of thetrigger is operative to move the pull member to thereby selectivelyposition the gripping elements between the fully clamped position andthe fully opened position. The pull member preferably comprises at leastone cord operatively connecting the handle portion to the grippingelements portion, with the at least one cord extending through thecentral portion. In certain embodiments, at least two separate portionsof the central portion preferably comprise a plurality of interconnectedconnectors which together define a passageway through which said pullmember passes through. In preferred embodiments, the plurality ofinterconnected connectors are in engagement with each other such thatthe interconnected connectors permit pivoting movement between theinterconnected connectors.

In still other embodiments, a bag is employed that fits over thegripping portion to enclose material within the bag after the jaws havebeen moved to a fully closed position. Other desired features include alighting element operably associated with the gripping device.

In certain embodiments, the bags employed have a closing ability suchthat once the gripping tool encircles the gripped material, with a bagpre-positioned over the gripping elements prior to contacting thematerial, the bag is closed via the pressure applied by the perimeter ofthe gripping elements when the user operates the trigger to close thegripping elements. Certain types of closure elements can be employed toaccomplish this closure function, including but not limited to adhesivebeing applied to one or both opposing sides of an open bag in the areawhere the gripping elements contact each other in the closed positron.Other closure mechanisms involve the use of zip-lock mating features(e.g. zip-lock bags, etc.) such that the closed position of the jawscauses the zip-lock elements of the bag employed to seal the bag withthe contents inside.

In certain embodiments, the interiors of opposing gripping elementssurfaces are fitted with a disposable liner, such as a biodegradablebag, prior to use such that the bag forms a covering to surround andencapsulate material. The peripheral ends of the liner are attached tothe outside of gripping elements with the peripheral edge of thedisposable bag including an adhesive strip adapted to adhere the edge ofdisposable bag, and also may be provided to ensure a better contact andconnection with one or more of the gripping elements features. The bagis thus positioned and retained on the gripping elements. As one ofskill will appreciate, various other bag retention features, such aselastomeric bands, clips, etc. can be employed to secure the bag in afashion such that it remains in contact with the gripping elementsduring a gripping operation.

One aspect of the present invention is directed to effectively sealingthe material inside a bag after collection. While the above methodemploying adhesives is preferred, others can also be used, such as withties, twisting of the bag, spinning the bag after it is filled withmaterial, etc. Thus various types of bag fasteners or closure techniquesmay include a wide variety of devices that clamp, seal, fasten, hold,squeeze, or otherwise close the ends of the individual portions of a bagfilled with material. Such fasteners may thus include ratchet ties, wiretie-type systems, such as a metal or wire twist tie, spring clamps,bands, adhesive tabs, peel seals, zippers, zip-locks, slider mechanisms,Velcro, or other devices to gather and hold the bag material in a tightor secure fashion.

Such device can, however, also be used to pick up a variety of othermaterial without using a bag. Certain embodiments include either twomovable jaws, or a fixed jaw and a pivotally mounted jaw, preferably ofsimilar design and each being in a dished-shaped configuration.

The flexible nature of the present invention permits a user to adjustthe jaw portion to be at any desired angle to enable the operator tooperate the trigger by exerting a squeezing action on the trigger,thereby causing the movable jaw to move to its closed position and thecuffed portion of the bag may be “peeled” downwardly and removed fromthe jaws, after which a conventional twist wire or other closure means(zip-lock bags, etc,) can be applied to the peeled portion of the bag.The bag and its contents may then be removed from between the jaws anddisposed of in any suitable manner.

From the above description, it will be apparent that an extremelysanitary method of gripping material is provided, with numerousadvantages that include no contact whatsoever of the hands of the useror operator with the material. Furthermore, only one hand is requiredfor the operation of the device. Finally, after the material is baggedby the gripping tool, and the bagged material disposed of, the deviceremains substantially clean and does not require washing, rinsing, orthe like. The present invention, due partially to its ability to assumea compact dimension, can be carried in a purse, a suitcase, onairplanes, etc.

In use, a user unfolds, extends or uncoils the shaft that extendsbetween a handle and movable jaws, and places a bag in association withthe jaws to secure the bag in place. The user can then place the openclaw ends of the jaw e.g. claw halves, over the material being collectedand activate the triggering mechanism of the handle to close the clawhalves to encircle and encompass the material.

An assembly in accordance with the present invention may include a pairof jaws fashioned into scoops that are adapted to encircle material(e.g. with optional tines, teeth, etc.) adapted to scoop up and disposeof material with the jaws/scoops attached to flexible lengths ofmaterial that are covered by a flexible film that adds stiffness to theflexible length.

In preferred embodiments, two relatively movable, complemental, coactingjaws are carried at the end of an elongated flexible member, preferablyat least one portion thereof being corrugated and/or comprised of linkedball and socket jointed elements, and in some embodiments alsotelescopically adjustable into a locking length, with the jaws shapedand designed to scoop material gripped by the jaws.

Thus, certain embodiments of the present invention include a pair ofjaws/scoops that are connected to and employ a flexible extension andmore preferably include the ability to have a bag placed over suchjaws/scoops.

A locking mechanism can be provided to keep the jaws closed until readyto dispose of the sealed bag. The opening and closing and locking of thejaws may be performed with one hand by an operator mechanism locatedaway from the jaws.

Incorporated herein by reference in their entireties are the followingissued patents to provide sufficient written description and enablementof the many varied handle, trigger, articulated extension members, jaw,scoop and bag associated portions and features of the present invention:U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,912,316; 7,744,136 to Waltz; U.S. Pat. No. 3,328,066 toJohnston; U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,084 to Mares; U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,470 toLu; U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,587 to Tsou; U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,468 toHastings; U.S. Pat. No. 7,093,869 to Jung; U.S. Pat. No. 7,695,035 toSumner, et. al; U.S. Pat. No. 7,448,659 to Auseklis; U.S. Pat. No.5,601,321 to Simon; U.S. Pat. No. 7,325,849 to Jones; U.S. Pat. No.5,380,054 to Galvis; U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,442, issued to Lee; U.S. Pat.No. 4,179,145, issued to Joe Shinsako; U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,618 toFigueroa; U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,703 to Yoshioka; U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,371to Egberg; U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,116 to Tufte, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No.4,186,955 to Campbell; U.S. Pat. No. 3,901,545 to Shott; U.S. Pat. No.8,449,007 to Farmer; U.S. Pat. No. 6,845,736 to Anderson; U.S. Pat. No.7,992,907 to DeJesus; U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,174 to Hennessy et al.; U.S.Pat. No. 6,042,155 to Lockwood; U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,537 to Kiemer andU.S. Patent Publication No. 2014/0277015 to Stinis.

A lighting element, such as a flashlight feature, may also beincorporated on the device, as well as a bag holder. The specificationdescribes a hand-held gripping device, comprising a jaw portion having apair of jaws movable relative to each other between fully clamped andfully opened positions thereof, and a handle portion spaced apart fromthe jaw portion by a central portion, which in some embodiments may beadjustable in length via telescoping portions slidingly moved to attaina desired length. The handle portion comprises a manually-actuatabletrigger (although in other embodiments the activation of the trigger isvia an electronic button) operatively connected to the jaw portion by apull member at least substantially disposed within the central portion.Actuation of the trigger is operative to move the pull member to therebyselectively position the pair of jaws between the fully clamped andfully opened position thereof. A selectively extendible central portionmay comprise a first tubular member and, if the device is adjustablewith respect to its length, may employ rotatable locking members toreversibly lock the respective portions of the central column into afixed position. In certain embodiments, the central portion comprises ahollow, corrugated member having alternating ridges and grooves, suchmember being bendable so as to attain a predetermined shape. Suitablematerial for use in the central column will be known by those of skillin the art and alternative materials can be selected for various desiredattributes, such as weight, cost, color, temperature characteristics,rigidity, corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, waterpermeability, glow in the dark characteristics, etc. Thus, suitableconnector material for use as the entire, or alternatively only aportion of the central portion of the gripping device, may comprise ahollow, corrugated member having alternating ridges and grooves, suchmember being bendable so as to attain a predetermined shape, and may bemade of a variety of materials, including plastic, metal, andcomposites. The bendable portion of the central portion can beselectively or in a predetermined manner configured into a shape so asto facilitate easier access to a desired area, object, etc. Thereversible nature of the bendable nature of the tool provides a userwith the ability to adjust the angle of the distal portion of the toolto accommodate the myriad of difficult angles encountered by a user.Traditional remote access tools, which have straight and non-bending (asopposed to merely pivoting or telescoping) portions, are not able toachieve the desired remote access as provided by the present invention.

In certain embodiments, at least one cord is employed that operativelyconnects the handle portion to the jaw portion, with such at least onecord extending through said central portion and through the hollow,corrugated member having alternating ridges and grooves. In certainembodiments, only the distal portion of the device has a segment of thehollow, corrugated member so as to limit the weight characteristics ofsuch material as compared to the overall device. In certain embodiments,the hand-held gripping device has at least two-thirds of the centralportion comprising a corrugated member. It has been found, however, thatproviding ten inches of such material is sufficient for manycircumstances where a user desires to perform the desired bend tofacilitate reaching an object to engage with the jaws of the device. Asone will appreciate, however, any length of the hollow, corrugatedmember having alternating ridges and grooves can be used depending uponthe circumstances. Thus, while in some embodiments, substantially theentire central portion comprises such material, in other embodiments;one or more sections of the central portion comprise such a hollow,corrugated member. In certain preferred embodiments, the distal portionhas at least 1 inch of such hollow, corrugated member, more preferablyat least about 3 inches of such material, and most preferably at leastabout 6 inches of such material. In other embodiments, at least twoportions of the central column have sections with such hollow,corrugated member such that a user can preposition each section for adesired bent configuration, thus permitting the ability to reach anobject remote from the user that may be difficult or impossible to reachusing traditional gripper devices with straight central columns.

In certain embodiments, the hand-held gripping device employs a handleportion that has a second manually-actuatable trigger, with such secondtrigger able to adjust the orientation of the distally positioned jawportion by effecting a change in the shape of the one or more corrugatedmembers along the extent of the central portion. In some embodiments,the trigger that functions to alter the bending of the corrugated memberis a rotatable knob, such that many varied angular orientations of thedistal end (with the jaws) can be attained via rotation of a knobpositioned near or on the hand grip of the device. Electronic means canalso be employed for such purpose, as well as for the operation of thejaws between their closed and open positions.

While certain embodiments solely employ at least one section of acorrugated member to achieve desired bendable characteristics, otherembodiments of the hand-held gripping device have a portion of saidcentral portion that is in telescoping relationship with an adjacentportion of said central portion. Telescoping shafts may have two or moreshaft members so long as each inner member is slightly smaller incross-sectional area than the next outer member. In such embodiments, alocking member associated with said central portion is used to fix twoadjacent members of said central portion in an engaged position, withthe locking member operable between a first locking position and asecond unlocking position. The locking member may comprise a couplingmember, such as rotatable collar that can be manipulated by a user toadjust the griping member's length. In one embodiment, a section ofcorrugated hollow material is positioned at the distal end of thedevice, about 3 to 6 inches away from the jaws (and in the direction ofthe hand grip) and two adjacent members of the central column portionare operatively associated with each other in a slidingly telescopingrelationship with a locking member being associated with at least one ofthe two adjacent members, the locking member comprising a selectivelyradially expandable mandrel to permit the length of the central columnmember to be varied.

In certain embodiments, a pull member comprises first and second pullrods, and a cam body supporting a cam is used, with the pull rodsassociated with a cam support body. The cam is characterized by a firstengaged condition in which the cam is in contact with the second pullrod to thereby fix the length of the pull member, and a second,disengaged condition in which the cam is out of contact with the secondpull rod, to thereby permit the length of the pull member to be varied.The user-actuatable trigger comprises a manually operable releasetrigger provided on the handle portion, which is operatively connectedto the cam via a connecting rod.

One of skill in the art, especially guided by the incorporatedreferences, will appreciate the varied types and features of grippingdevices that can be constructed and that further incorporate the hollowcorrugated member(s) as described herein in order to attain desiredbendable capabilities of a particular user. For example, and withoutlimitation, the present invention can be employed in a variety of fieldswhere the problem of access around otherwise difficult angularorientations is presented, such fields including but not limited tosurgeons and dentists/orthodontists to reach interior portions of aperson's anatomy, etc.

While preferably the bendable portion of the central column is made of acorrugated material (due to its ability to remain open in its centralinternal core, thus permitting pull cords to operate therein), those ofskill in the art will appreciate that—especially dependent upon howsevere and desired bending may be—that other types of bendable segmentscan be employed to achieve such a function. For example, pliable plasticor rubber-type sections can also be alternatively or in conjunctionemployed on a gripper device of the present invention so as to achievethe ability of a user to reach objects that would be difficult or nearlyimpossible to reach using a device having a straight and non-bendablecolumn. Of course, the ability of such a section to uphold the weight ofthe jaws, especially after the jaws have grasped some desired object, isan important consideration when selecting appropriate materials toemploy for the bendable portion of the column. In other words, asufficient amount of rigidity and/or operational integrity of thecentral column is required for many applications.

In still other embodiments of the present invention, one or more springscan be employed (with such spring(s) having desired structural integritywith respect to an ability to bend, an ability to support weight thatmay be encountered when the jaws engage an object and the device islifted, etc). Thus, in one embodiment, a section of spring is used alongthe central portion of the device with a cord mechanism that is attachedto the jaw end of the device, such that when the cord is pulled, thespring section bends to angularly adjust the jaws such that they canreach around corners/angles otherwise inaccessible with a straightcolumn gripper device.

To comply with appropriate written description and enablementrequirements and to provide sufficient guidance in how one of skill inthe art can make and use the various and numerous embodiments of thepresent invention, incorporated herein in their entireties are thefollowing: Hsu, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,513,844; 6,520,556, 6,739,637, and4,669,769 to Polder, Jr; U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,957 to Traber; U.S. Pat.No. 8,061,751 to Hatcher; U.S. Pat. No. 7,934,756 to Kroeze; U.S. Pat.No. 7,665,782 to Buzby et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 8,091,936 to Graziano; U.S.Pat. No. 7,980,609 to Khubani; U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,082 to Kaluzny; U.S.Pat. No. 5,590,923 to Berger et al.; as well as U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,957;U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,839; U.S. Pat. No. 3,527,492; U.S. Pat. No.4,613,179; U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,769; U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,634; U.S. Pat.No. 7,004,520; U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,844; U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,571,479;6,042,155 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,848,731.

Some extendable tools have fixed tool heads, while others include a handpowered actuatable tool head assembly having movable elements, such as,but not limited to, a pruner/cutting implement or other various knowntool head assemblies that may supplant clasping jaws. In still otherembodiments, one device having a handle, trigger and flexible centralportion is adapted to have replaceable and disenagagable distal endportions such that a user can achieve a myriad of different desiredoperations simply by removing and replacing end tools that havecomplementary detachable housings associated therewith that interact andreversibly connect to the non-handle end of the tool. For example,another aspect of the present invention is directed to the use of adouble headed net which creates a trap or cage. Thus, in one embodiment,net assemblies are moveable from a closed position wherein the first netassembly is positioned in contact against the second net assembly, to anopen position wherein the first net assembly is positioned a distanceaway from the second net assembly. The frames of each net assembly areconfigured to contact in a mating relationship when the jaw portion ismoved to the closed position. Incorporated by reference in its entiretyare U.S. Pat. Publication No. 20140047757 to Miller, and U.S. Pat. No.5,822,908 to Blanchard, which are generally directed to types of netstructures that may be employed in the manufacture and use of thevarious embodiments of the present invention, as well as U.S. Pat.Publication No. 20140054912 to Bustos and U.S. Pat. No. 7,677,619 toHutchings for particular features, such as inclusion of lights, magnets,etc. in conjunction with the claimed device.

As opposed to the prior art, where materials employed for the centralcolumn were hardened plastic polymers or any of substantiallynon-malleable metals, the present invention can be seen as distinctlydifferent as it relates to employing materials and constructions thatbend or are otherwise flexible so as to achieve the functionalattributes that the prior art devices cannot achieve. In yet furtherembodiments of the present invention, various other features can beincluded, and detailed support for how such features can be implementedwill be clear to one of skill in the art as guided by the presentapplication, as well as the patent references incorporated herein. Forexample, magnets may be positioned on the distal end of the device.Sharp cutting implements may be added or supplanted to one or both ofthe jaws such that a severing operation can be performed. Such sharpenedcutting jaws can alternatively be operated by a separate handletrigger—or simply provided in a fashion such that the cutting blade canbe reversibly retracted by a user (either remotely via a handle triggeroperation—or manually, prior to the extension of the device.) Similarly,suction cups can be positioned and affixed to the distal end of thedevice, whether on the jaws themselves or associated surfaces of thedistal end, such that additional securement of remote objects isfacilitated. Given the flexible nature of the device, it is possible totwist two separate extensions around each other, thus forming a singleextension that comprises a twisted (helical) portion of a device, whichcan have two separate triggers to operate the pulling of cords extendingin the separate extended, twisted portions. This facilitates furtheroptions for a user in certain situations where an additional set ofoperable distal features, such as a separate set of jaws, may be useful.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a light sourceassociated with the central portion section in connection with elongategripper tools. A lighting source can also be positioned at the distalend of the device so that a user can more readily see the distal end andfacilitate proper positioning of the distal end to perform operations,such as clamping of jaws around a distant object that may be in adarkened environment. LED lighting sources with small, battery poweredenergy sources are preferred, but one of skill in the art willappreciate, given the guidance provided herein, the vast variety ofother lighting arrangements and features that can be employed whilestill being within the scope of the claimed invention. A magnifyingviewing device (e.g., a distally positioned camera) can also be providedto assist the user in viewing the distal end of the device in particularapplications, such as when a detailed and sensitive manipulation of aremote object is required and the user requires magnification of thedistal end to properly position the device to perform desired functions.

Love of how easy a device can be employed is often the deciding factorin a medical device purchase/use decision. The present inventionsatisfies this long felt but unsolved desire. Recent developments inmedical technology and associated treatments have been focused onclearing or removing thromboembolisms or “blood clots” from the cervicaland cerebral vasculature in order to treat thromboembolic strokevictims. Thromboembolic stroke is a life threatening condition thatconsists of arrested blood flow to a region of the brain due to athromboembolisum blocking a blood vessel feeding that region. Suchthrombi often originate in the left heart chambers, break free into theaorta and flow downstream into the cervical neck arteries e.g. carotidarteries, and then ultimately lodge into a narrowed vessel somewheredown the narrowing vascular tree of the cerebral arteries associatedwith the brain in the head. Once lodged, the thrombus occludes flowalong the vessel downstream of the blockage, thus arresting blood flowto the downstream blood vessel and causing the stroke.

Life lessons and experiences of surgeons inform them as to what toolsthey employ to address specific problems. Occlusion of a blood vesselcan be caused by a thrombus (i.e., blood clot) that forms in a bloodvessel, or by an embolus, i.e., a blood clot that travels downstream.The blockage disrupts blood flow, which prevents oxygen and nutrientsfrom being delivered to their intended locations. Tissue distal to ablood clot that is deprived of oxygen and nutrients can no longerfunction properly. For every minute that treatment is delayed,additional cellular death of critical tissue can occur. As used herein a“vessel” or “lumen” refers to blood vessels (including arteries andveins) and other suitable body organs having a lumen, such as thegastrointestinal tract (e.g., esophagus, stomach, small intestine,colon, rectum), bile ducts, urinary bladder, ureter, urethra, trachea,bronchi, and the like. Pulmonary embolisms occur in the pulmonaryarteries. Typically, access to such pulmonary embolisms is achievedusing an introducer device that is inserted into a patient into theirfemoral vein in the pelvic area of the patient. The tools and devicesneeded to treat the pulmonary embolism are then inserted through theintroducer into the femoral vein through the inferior vena cava to thepatient's heart. Other access locations into the venous circulatorysystem of a patient are possible, for example, the user can gain accessthrough the jugular vein, the subclavian vein, the brachial vein or anyother vein that connects or eventually leads to the superior vena cava.Use of other vessels that are closer to right atrium of the patient'sheart are attractive because it reduces the length of the instrumentsneeded to reach the pulmonary embolism.

More than ever, the focus of present surgical practice is on speed,efficiency, ease of use and cost effectiveness. The present inventionsatisfies all of these. Current technology for blood flow restoration,for example for treating cerebral arteries occluded by thrombi, canoften take hours to reestablish flow in the artery, and can lead tounintended complications. Apparatus and methods for treating cerebralthrombi are often ineffective or only partially effective at resolvingthrombus removal, and may result in distal embolization or embolizationof uninvolved arteries. For example, some current devices are designedto pierce through a thrombus, or are designed to deploy distally to thethrombus before engaging the thrombus. These devices often fail tocapture all of a thrombus, can damage vessel walls distal of a thrombus,can be difficult to maneuver, can unintentionally dislodge portions of athrombus prior to capture, and/or can take significant amounts of timeto restore blood flow. Dislodgment of portions of the thrombus, referredto as secondary emboli, often cause complications because the secondaryemboli may travel downstream and occlude other vessels or arteries.

The meaning of a successful retrieval of an object varies, as some wouldsay capturing the object is the goal, while others would say it is aboutsuccessful removal of the object without further damage to a patient.The present invention accomplishes both. Various embodiments of thepresent invention are directed to “basket” retrieval surgical devicesthat have a net assembly at a distal end able to surround a capturedstone, thrombus or calculi during retrieval. Unlike prior art devices,which while having basket-type devices, collapse into the distal end ofa catheter during insertion, and are then extended from the end of thecatheter when deployed, preferred embodiments of the present inventiondo not require retraction of the net assemblies into a catheter. Sometypes of these instruments employ a retrieval collapsible basketarranged within a flexible catheter formed as a tubular sheath with thebasket and the sheath moving relative to each other to open and closethe basket. The basket can retract inside the sheath or protract fromthe catheter to open the basket to form a cage to thus allow entrance ofthe object into the basket. Retraction of the basket into the sheathresults in the cage collapsing and entrapping the object in the basket.Other types of retrieval devices employ miniaturized grasping legs thatare unattached at a distal end of the grabber and joined at a proximalbase of the grabber. The legs are movable relative to the sheath toachieve a contracted position within the sheath and an extended positionoutside of the sheath in the form of an open grasper. The distal ends ofthe legs are farther apart from each other when the grabber is in theopen position than when in the closed position. The grasping legs aretypically formed of elastic wires with insufficient rigidity to reliablyhold retrieved objects and thus, the legs may deform and drop theobjects during operation.

It will be understood by those of skill in the art that the variousfeatures described herein can be employed separately or in combinationto achieve desired objectives. Other traditional devices employ a singleloop snare that requires skilled manipulation to capture a desiredobject. In an attempt to provide a snare with improved cross sectionalvessel coverage, multi loop snares have been developed. These snaresinclude loops which are joined only at their proximal ends to amanipulation shaft, and otherwise are not joined at any point betweenthe shaft and the distal ends of the loops. Such loops often becomedisplaced and/or entangled, thus preventing the snare from openingduring operation.

Moreover, unlike prior art basket-type retrieval devices, whichtypically require a physician to advance the device past a stone mass,followed by deployment of the retrieval device, and subsequent pullingback of the basket toward the stone to capture the stone, variouspreferred embodiments of the present invention provide the ability tosecure stone masses without having to move the device past a stone.

Additionally, prior art basket retrieval devices often become stuck orwedged during stone removal, resulting in damage to surrounding tissueor tissue lining caused by a physician forcing the basket and stonethrough an area in which the stone has become stuck or wedged. To avoidsuch damage, it may be necessary to release the stone and break it intosmaller fragments. Unfortunately, typical basket retrieval devices donot allow the physician to release easily the stone and continuebreaking it up before removal is again attempted. Similar situationsarise using prior art surgical “graspers” instead of a basket device.Typical graspers employ three or four prongs that are manipulated tocapture a stone from the front side of the stone, by grasping it. When astone becomes stuck or wedged during removal, such graspers are able torelease the stone. Unfortunately, typical graspers often do not hold onto stones as well as baskets. Moreover, it can be difficult to capture astone using a grasper, and once captured, it is easy for the stone to bereleased inadvertently. Thus, in the past, over the course of aprocedure, a physician often needs to use both graspers and basket-typedevices to manipulate a stone, break up the stone, and remove fragmentsof the stone. Using current graspers and baskets, a physician may needto switch devices during the procedure. Switching devices typicallyrequires withdrawal of one device and insertion of another.

Certain embodiments of the surgical retrieval device include a retrievalassembly having a plurality of spring-like finger members, which may becomposed of nitinol, stainless steel, a Co—Cr alloy, or a titaniumalloy, though other materials also may be used. In various aspects ofthe present invention, a surgical retrieval device is inserted into abody tract while the multi-fingered retrieval assembly is in a closedposition as the retrieval device is placed in and maneuvered to capturematerial. Once the material is captured, the retrieval device, alongwith the material, are withdrawn from the body. In various embodiments,netting material can be associated with the plurality of fingers so asto achieve the advantageous of both the grasper and the basket-typedevices. Thus, a surgical retrieval device may be adapted to have adistal end (preferably replaceable) that permits the device to be usedas a grasper for grasping material similar to forceps. In othersituations, the distal end can be a multi-fingered retrieval netassembly so that the device may be used as a basket-type retrievaldevice to capture material within a basket formed by the nettingstretched between the fingers of the multi-finger retrieval assembly. Inpreferred embodiments, the distal portion of the preferred surgicalretrieval device of the present invention is designed to capture notonly the thrombus, but also any secondary emboli, and therefore, preventsecondary emboli from traveling downstream during clot retrieval.

There has been a long felt an unmet need to provide a surgical devicethat is adept at removing harder material, such as calcium (e.g. harderthan thrombus and plaque). Cutting and removal of such harder materialshas generally required additional procedure time and increased risks. Itis also important to have a device that is easy to use by a physicianand are compatible with present therapeutic devices and methods.

Embodiments of the present disclosure contemplate various mechanicalcutting features provided in combination with the jaws.

In certain embodiments, the surgical device set forth here can beemployed to treat pulmonary embolization by the appropriate placement ofa thrombus filter in the vascular system of a patient's body. Placementof the filter may be accomplished by intravenous insertion of a thrombusfilter in a patient's vascular system, which is less invasive andrequires only a local anesthetic. Once placed inside a blood vessel, athrombus filter acts to catch and hold blood clots. The flow of bloodaround the captured clots allows the body's lysing process to dissolvethe clots.

Some medical instruments can reduce the invasiveness and potentialtrauma previously associated with various medical procedures. Theremoval of a calculus, such as, for example, a kidney stone, a ureteralstone, a urethral stone, a urinary bladder stone, or a stone in thebiliary tree such as a gallbladder stone or a bile duct stone and thelike from the body is one area where certain instruments are being usedwith some success.

Various instruments can permit the removal of stones and other materialfrom the body without the need for major surgery. Generally, a graspingdevice is guided through the body to the site of the stone and is usedto grasp and remove the stone under the guidance of an endoscope.

One problem with known baskets is that it often is difficult to removethe basket containing the material from the body without damaging thesurrounding tissue and it is not possible to release the capturedmaterial from the basket. In some instances, a stone is of such a sizethat it is incapable of being removed while it is captured within thebasket. In other instances, the body duct or orifice, such as the ureteror ureteral orifice junction (where the ureter and bladder join), is toosmall to allow for passage of the basket with the captured stone. If anexcessive force is used to attempt to remove the basket and the capturedmaterial, tissue may be damaged. Sometimes surgery is required todislodge both the basket and the captured material.

Various embodiments of the present invention provide a surgicalextractor which is capable of capturing and releasing foreign orbiological material (e.g. stones, calculi, etc.). In accordance withvarious embodiments of the present invention, a surgical retrievaldevice, and related methods, use a basket formed by a plurality of legsto retrieve foreign or biological material.

One will appreciate that this Summary of the Invention is not intendedto be all encompassing and that the scope of the invention nor itsvarious embodiments, let alone the most important ones, are necessarilyencompassed by the above description. One of skill in the art willappreciate that the entire disclosure, as well as the incorporatedreferences, pictures, etc. will provide a basis for the scope of thepresent invention as it may be claimed now and in future applications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated asthe same becomes better understood by reference to the followingdetailed description when considered with the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a lateral perspective view of an extendible gripping deviceaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another view of one embodiment showing the corrugatedsection(s) of the central column near the jaw portion of the inventivegripping device and toward the handle portion of the device.

FIG. 3 comprises a perspective close-up view of one embodiment of acorrugated section of the column, showing a dissociable coupling.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another embodiment with acorrugated segment in addition to a telescoping locking member along thecentral column.

FIG. 5, shows a perspective view of an embodiment where substantiallythe entire length of the central column comprises a corrugated segment.

FIG. 6 shows how the corrugated segment can be bent into configurations,including winding the central column around so that the device can bestored and transported easily.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of scooper jaws according to the presentinvention showing at least one portion of articulated members and anadjustable telescoping mechanism.

FIG. 8 is an illustration of a scooper jaw embodiment with a bendableloc-line type flexible extension and stylized jaw portions.

FIG. 9 is an illustration of a further embodiment with another type of ajaw/claw scoop member associated with an articulated, bendable centralportion.

FIG. 10A is an illustration of a further embodiment with spring-likeclaw scoop fingers associated with an articulated, bendable centralportion.

FIG. 10B shows an embodiment where similar multiple-claw scoop membershave a bag associated therewith, in conjunction with an articulated,bendable central portion and trigger handle.

FIG. 11A shows a perspective view of an embodiment where a jaw portioncomprises a net assembly comprising a pair of nets that are movablerelative to each other between fully clamped and fully open positions.

FIG. 11B shows a perspective view of another embodiment where the pairof nets is in a closed position.

FIG. 11C shows a perspective view of a further embodiment where the netassembly is a five-sided net and the net assembly is in an openposition.

FIG. 11D shows a perspective view of one embodiment where the netassembly is connected to a plurality of interconnected connectors.

FIG. 11E shows a perspective view of an embodiment where the netassembly has an open side of the net assembly facing the jaw portion.

FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of a handle portion of a surgicaldevice and a (not to scale) distal end that includes miniature movablejaws that are able to extend into a body cavity (such as a bile duct,etc.) to grasp stones.

FIG. 13 A-C are perspective views of various embodiments of a surgicaldevice having differently configured grasping structures that areadapted to be reversibly opened/closed via operation of the handletrigger, with FIG. 13C illustrating how a net component may further beemployed.

FIG. 14 shows one embodiment where the flexible grasping tool isemployed to access an object in a patient's cerebral artery (not toscale).

FIG. 15 shows an embodiment where opposing nets and cutting jaws areshown to facilitate reduction in the size of a blood clot, stone orforeign object prior to or after grasping the object within the opposingcollapsible nets.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of another embodiment showing theengagement elements (jaws) and a lighting element.

FIG. 17 shows an embodiment where the flexible grasping tool hasadjustable locking collars along its extent.

FIG. 18 shows a perspective view of a variable length flexible grasperwith a miniature movable jaw assembly.

FIG. 19 shows a perspective view of a variable length grasper having aminiature net assembly at its distal end.

FIG. 20 shows another embodiment illustrating a net assembly with onestructure with a loose net and the opposing structure with a taut net.

WRITTEN DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

It will be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merelyexemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various andalternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale, somefeatures may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particularcomponents. Therefore, specific structural and functional detailsdisclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as arepresentative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variouslyemploy the present invention. For the following description, theactuatable tool head assembly is described as a gripper having a jawassembly 11. It is understood, however, that any type of actuatable toolhead assembly may be used.

As disclosed in the figures, various embodiments of the presentinvention generally comprise a hand-held gripping device having a jawportion (indicated generally at 10) comprising a pair of jaws 11 a, 11 band a handle portion (indicated generally at 40) spaced apart by aselectively extendible central portion (indicated generally at 70). Thehandle portion 40 comprises a manually-actuatable trigger 41 operativelyconnected to the jaws of the jaw portion by a pull member. Actuation ofthe trigger 41 is operative to move the pull member to therebyselectively position the pair of jaws 11 a, 11 b between fully clampedand fully opened positions thereof. It will be understood that the jawconstruction and the handle portion construction is intended asexemplary only, and that those of skill in the art will appreciate howto adapt such portions as desired, consistent with facilitatingoperation of the bendable column gripping device as hereinafterdescribed.

A pull member is interconnected with the jaw and handle portions suchthat manual actuation of the trigger 41 effects movement of the jaws 11a, 11 b. In certain embodiments, the user-actuatable release trigger 41of the present invention comprises a release button 42 disposed on thetrigger 41 of the handle portion 40. In the event that the distancebetween the jaw portion 11 and the handle portion 40 is not appropriatein light of the task contemplated by the user, the user may adjust thelength of the central portion by first unscrewing a collet assembly 80to thus permit telescoping movement of first and second tubular members.The user next actuates the release trigger, either by depressing therelease button or turning the collar (depending on the form of theinvention), which actions cause the second coupling to move from theengaged to the disengaged position. At this point, the pull member maybe lengthened or shortened concurrently with telescoping movement of thefirst and second tubular members. Thus, while depressing the releasetrigger 42, the user grasps the second tubular member and changes thedistance between the handle portion and the gripping portion as desired.After the desired length is obtained, the user releases release triggerand tightens the collet assembly to thereby fix the lengths of each ofthe central portion and the pull member.

Selective positioning of the first and second tubular members may beeffected by rotational movement of one of the first or second tubularmembers of the central portion.

In certain embodiments, the gripping device of this embodiment comprisesa selectively extendible central portion 70 including a first tubularmember 71 slidingly telescopingly received within a second,larger-diameter tubular member 73. In order to fix the relativepositions of the first 71 and second 73 tubular members, there isprovided a collet assembly 80.

A locking mechanism may be provided to fix the pivotal position of thetrigger 41, and thereby fix the relative positions of the jaws 11between the fully open and fully closed positions thereof.

In operation, from the position wherein the jaws 11 are fully opened, auser manually depresses trigger 41 to retract the pull rod/cord 50 andthereby move the jaws 11 toward each other.

To understand and appreciate the varied and numerous applications of thepresent invention in the context of tools that do not employ thegripping jaw device used as an illustrative example herein, theinventors incorporate by reference herein, in their entireties, thefollowing patents to provide the detailed embodiments that, with thefeatures here described, facilitate far easier access to previouslydifficult to reach areas so that the various functional assemblies atthe remote end of a tool can be used effectively: Hsu, U.S. Pat. Nos.6,513,844, 6,520,556, and 6,739,637, 4,669,769 to Polder, Jr; U.S. Pat.No. 4,962,957 to Traber; U.S. Pat. No. 8,061,751 to Hatcher; U.S. Pat.No. 7,934,756 to Kroeze; U.S. Pat. No. 7,665,782 to Buzby et al.; U.S.Pat. No. 8,091,936 to Graziano; U.S. Pat. No. 7,980,609 to Khubani; U.S.Pat. No. 5,895,082 to Kaluzny; U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,923 to Berger et al.;as well as U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,957 to Traber; U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,839;U.S. Pat. No. 3,527,492 to Hollis; U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,179 to van Zelm;U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,769 to Polder; U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,634 to Wei; U.S.Pat. No. 7,004,520 to Khubani; U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,844 to Hsu; U.S. Pat.No. 6,571,479 to Wu; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,848,731 to Khubani; U.S. Pat.No. 4,033,618 to Lamb; U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,592 to Kalidindi; U.S. Pat.No. 4,483,562 to Schoolman; U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,622 to Schectman; U.S.Pat. No. 1,519,938 to Smith; U.S. Pat. No. 2,947,564 to Winther; U.S.Pat. Publication No. 2003/0236549 to Bonadio, et al; U.S. Pat. No.5,776,196 to Griffiths; U.S. Pat. No. 7,934,756 to Kroeze and U.S. Pat.No. 4,253,697 to Acosta.

It will be appreciated from the above disclosure that the presentinvention improves upon the prior art by providing a bendable grippingdevice that is robust yet simple in design, and that allows easyadjustment of the direction of the jaws 11 to reach around tight cornersor other places where a straight columned device would simply notfunction to retrieve desired objects remote from the user.

In one embodiment, a hand held gripping device is provided that has ajaw portion comprising a pair of jaws 11 that are movable relative toeach other between fully clamped and fully open positions. A handleportion 40 is spaced apart from the jaw portion 11 by a selectivelyextendable portion, the handle portion having a manually actuabletrigger connected to the jaw portion. An extendable pole member,preferably running longitudinally through a tubular section, operativelyconnecting the jaw portion 11 to the handle portion 40, is provided.Actuation of the trigger 41 is therefore operative to move the polemember to selectively position the pair of jaws 11 between fully clampedand fully opened positions. Between the jaw portion 11 and the handleportion 40 is therefore a central portion, preferably comprising ahollow, corrugated member 30. Such corrugated member 30 preferably hasalternating ridges and grooves such that the central portion of thedevice is able to bend in order to attain predetermined shapes. Inparticular embodiments, at least one cord is connected between thehandle portion and the jaw portion 11, such that the cord extendsthrough the central portion of the device.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, in certain embodiments of the presentinvention, two or more corrugated members 30 a and 30 b are provided atdifferent relative locations along the device, and more specificallyalong the central portion of the device. In preferred embodiments, atleast two thirds of the central portion comprises the corrugated member30. In still other embodiments, at least a central portion of the deviceis in a telescoping relationship with an adjacent portion of the device,namely, a first portion 71 is telescopically related to a second portion73, with a locking member 80, preferably a locking collar, associatedwith a central portion. The locking member 80 is provided in a fashionso that the two adjacent members of the central portion 71, 73 may be inan engaged position such that the length of the central portion 70 canbe effectively adjusted by the user. The locking member 80 canalternatively be referred to as a coupling member between the twoportions 71 and 73. In a preferred embodiment, the locking member 80comprises a selectively radially expandable mandrel.

In other embodiments, a user actuable trigger 41 comprises two operabletriggers with the operation of a first trigger 41 causing the reversalopening and closing of the jaws 11, whereas the other trigger (notshown) causes the distal end of the device to move such that the distalend bends in relationship to the longitudinal axis of the device.

In other embodiments, a selective positioning of a knob (not shown),such knob position near the trigger/handle portion of the device, isprovided in order to cause rotational movement of the distal end of thedevice through manual adjustment of the knob.

In still other embodiments the majority of the portion between thehandle portion and the jaw portion comprises corrugated material 30. Insuch an embodiment, a locking member 80 can be employed, so as toselectively adjust the length of the device in a telescopingrelationship, even though the telescoping members themselves are made ofa corrugated, bendable material. In other embodiments, however, thelocking member 80 can be dispensed with, and the corrugated member 30can comprise the entirety of the portion between the handle portion 40and the jaw portion 11 of the device. In such embodiments, it ispossible to compress the device in a coiled manner, makingtransportation and storage of such a device far easier.

An objective is to provide a gripping device including a lockingmechanism for locking the gripping jaws, claws, grasping members, 11etc. in a holding or grasping or gripping position. Thus, in certainembodiments a device is provided that includes a handle body, a handgrip 40 secured to the handle body having a trigger 41 connected to acord that extends through a flexible corridor 30, preferably one that iscorrugated, and more preferably constructed of loc-line elements linkedtogether, at least one gripping jaw or claw 11 movable via manipulationof the trigger 41, and a locking mechanism for locking the jaw or claw11 into a closed position. The locking mechanism which may be associatedwith a release trigger 42, may include, for example, a pawl rotatablysecured to a hand grip and having a first end for engaging with thehandle body, the handle body including a plurality of teeth formedtherein with the pawl including teeth for engaging with the teeth of thehandle body. One of skill in the art, however, will appreciate thevaried other locking devices that can supplant the pawl/teeth design oflocking mechanisms that can be employed with the present invention.

In more general embodiments, the present invention is directed to ahand-held reacher for gripping an object and includes a handle portion40, a jaw portion 10, and a shaft extending between the handle portionand the jaw portion, with such extended portion including at least onesection that is flexible 30, preferably corrugated and most preferablyconstructed of loc-line-type articulated joints that have hollowinteriors to facilitate a cord extending through the interior of theflexible corridor formed. At one end of such a device there is at leastone jaw/claw portion 11 having at least one of the jaws 11 movablebetween an open position and a closed position, and the handle portion40 having a manually-operable trigger 41 for moving the jaws 11 betweenthe open and closed position. An additional locking member operable viaa release trigger 42 for releasably locking the jaws in a closed orpartially closed position is also a feature of preferred embodiments.

In still other embodiments, the present invention is directed to ahand-held gripping device having a jaw portion 10 that includes a pairof jaws 11 movable relative to each other between fully clamped andfully opened positions. A handle portion 40 is spaced apart from the jawportion 10 by a selectively extendible central portion, with the handleportion including a first manually-actuatable trigger 41 operativelyconnected to the jaw portion 10 by a selectively extendible pull memberat least substantially disposed within the bendable, preferablycorrugated central portion 30. Actuation of the trigger 41 is operativeto move the pull member to thereby selectively position the pair of jaws11 between the fully clamped and fully opened positions. The centralportion can be constructed of various materials, includingball-and-socket connectable members of varying lengths, diameters, etc,with such members having a hollow, interior through which a cord or wirecan extend through, thus connecting a handle portion 41 to a movable jawportion 10 of a device. Preferably such a corrugated member 30 hasalternating ridges and grooves, which may be covered by an outer sheathof preferably flexible material, such as rubber, fabric or plastic, withthe corrugated member 30 preferably being bendable so as to attain apredetermined shape.

In preferred embodiments, the corrugated member 30 is made of loc-lineconnected elements that have ball and socket connections that permitsubstantial flexibility of a connected length thereof. A pull member,such as at least one cord, is operatively connected to the handleportion 40 at one end and to the jaw portion 10 at another end of thedevice. The cord extends through and is preferably entirely encompassedby the central portion. In one embodiment, the corrugated member 30 hasa first configuration whereby prior to actuation of the actuationtrigger 41, the pair of jaws 11 is in the fully opened position and thecorrugated member is bent. A locking member 80 may be operativelyassociated with the central portion so that two adjacent members of thecentral portion can be moved with respect to each other in a slidinglytelescoping relationship and can then be locked into place. The lockingmember 80 may be a selectively radially expandable mandrel, radiallyexpanded into engagement with the adjacent members to permit the lengthof the pull member to be varied. The corrugated member 30 is preferablyconstructed of plastic and is adapted to be bendable so as to attain apredetermined shape.

In certain embodiments, at least two portions of the central portioncolumn are made of hollow, corrugated members 30 such that a user canpreposition each of the portions for a desired bent configuration. Thecentral portion comprises at least 6 inches of the hollow, corrugatedmember 30 and two or more corrugated members may be provided atdifferent relative locations along the central portion of the device.Preferably, at least two thirds of the central portion comprises thebendable portion that is adapted to be coiled to facilitatetransportation and storage, and further includes a locking memberoperable between a first locking position and a second unlockingposition. The actuatable trigger 41 preferably includes a manuallyoperable release trigger 42. The central portion in certain embodimentsalso includes a bendable portion made of rubber.

In various embodiments, the distal end portions can be substituted withdifferently configured mechanisms, such as the replacement of a gripperjaw end with different tool elements. Thus, in certain embodiments, withone device having the handle 40, trigger 41 and flexible central portion30, one can achieve a myriad of different desired operations simply byremoving and replacing end tools that have complementary detachablehousings associated therewith that interact and reversibly connect tothe non-handle end of the tool. For example, and departing from astrictly movable jaw member embodiment, certain embodiments of thepresent invention are directed to a cupping member that may haveflexible, rubber-like memory features to reversibly encompass material(by the moving jaw features) and be either integrally connected orreversibly connected to the distal end of the device.

FIG. 13A shows an embodiment with spring-like claw scoop membersassociated with an articulated, bendable central portion. Incorporatedherein by this reference are the following to illustrate the variousways such members can be provided with the flexible and bendable centralportion, workable via the trigger handle as described herein: U.S. Pat.No. 7,281,740 to Fields; U.S. Patent Publication No. US/2009/0200812 toMambru; U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,111 to Crooks U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,042 toMcCloy and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014/0152031 to Ballacchino.

FIG. 13C discloses another embodiment with multiple-claw scoop membershaving a bag/net associated therewith, connected to an articulated,bendable central portion and trigger handle. As mentioned above, theemployment of such spring-like fingers on the operational end of thetool permits the triggered handle to manipulate the materials to begrasped, and provides for a significant variety of weights, materials,constructions, etc. to be employed.

As can be seen in FIGS. 11A-E, various net assemblies, ranging in shape,design, materials, dimensions, and orientation with respect to thecentral column, etc. can be employed. The hand-held netting tool ispreferably adapted to permit reversibly disassociable net attachmentssuch that different types, designs, sizes, mesh patterns, geometries,etc. can be accommodated by a user's selection of desired nets forparticular uses. The various ways the net pairs can be reversiblyattached will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, butone preferred way is to fashion the distal end of the device with afitted connector that can be pulled outward via a spring attachmentassociated with the cord extending through the device. A mating hookstructure may be employed to attach associated net pairs to the bendabletool at such distal end. For example, FIG. 11C shows one embodiment ofthe present invention that provides a double-headed net. The first nethead 15, the second net head 16, and the lateral net 25 are used to forma five-sided fishing net. Different kinds and sizes of net heads may beattached to allow for a wide range of different configurations. Indeed,in some embodiments, only one net is employed on one side, with theother clamping/closure member being a more rigid net/mesh materials(similar to a tennis racket surface). Thus, in one embodiment the toolcomprises a pair of net assemblies where one of the pair is arectangular shaped wire structure with a loose net associated therewith,and the opposing paired structure is a rectangular shaped wire structurewith a taut net associated therewith.

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to a small versionof the device as described herein, such a device finding use in asurgical dental or orthodontic environment and other places andsituations where very small dimensions are required to fit throughspaces, such as lumens, vascular spaces, internal body cavities, etc.Thus, in certain embodiments, the selectively bendable remote grippingtool has relatively small dimensions so it can be easily inserted intothe body through known guiding catheters. Various instruments are knownin the art for removing various objects/foreign articles 50 from thebody, such as instruments used for the removal of objects such as kidneystones, gallstones, blood clots, thrombus clots, occlusions, calcinatedplaques, urinary stones or stones of the bile duct; for removing foreignarticles from the vascular system of a patient or from a body duct ororifice, such as the ureter or ureteral orifice junction, nasalpassages, etc., such foreign articles 50 including vena cava filters,parts of medical devices, such as catheters, guidewires, cardiac leads,etc., which may break and become detached during medical procedures.Most of such instruments employ a flexible catheter formed as a tubularsheath adapted to penetrate body passages to reach the location fromwhere the object is to be evacuated, typically employing flexible wiresto snare or capture targeted objects.

Incorporated herein by this reference in their entireties are thefollowing for details as to the dimensions and materials that may beemployed for certain elements and aspects of the present describedembodiments: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,658,296; 6,168,603; and 6,491,698 to Bateset al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,086 to Gory et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,728to Bates; U.S. Pat. No. 6,331,183 to Suon; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,506,209to Teruo; U.S. U.S. Pat. No. 6,679,893 to Tran; U.S. Pat. No U.S. Pat.No. 8,469,970 to Diamant; 20140276920 to Hendrick; 20140155908 toRosenbluth; 20130317516 to Teague; 20140121672 to Folk; and 20100204711to Kear. In certain embodiments of the present invention the movablejaws are operable via the trigger on the handle end of the device. Insome embodiments such jaws are preferably constructed to collapse andretract inside an elongated sheath. In the protracted position, the jawsare open so as to grasp the object. The trigger may be operated to graspan object and subsequent removal of the central portion with itscorrugated flexible extent, enables the whole device to be removed fromthe body organ together with the object immobilized within the jaws/net.In certain embodiments, the reversibly movable opposing graspingstructures 11, e.g., jaws, fingers, nets (15, 16), etc. are guidedthrough the body to the site of an object, such as a kidney stone, andis used to grasp and remove the stone, e.g., under the guidance of anendoscope.

Preferably the jaws comprise spring-like fingers 11 with sufficientrigidity to reliably hold a foreign body 50. In other embodiments, thedistal end of the device comprises a pair of nets 15, 16 that aremovable between open and closed positions such that a foreign body canbe entrapped within the nets upon movement of the trigger to move thenets into the closed position. One will appreciate that in certainembodiments, the surgical/dental device described herein is essentiallya mere smaller version of the larger device described herein that isable to grasp larger objects.

As illustrated in FIG. 14, a method that can be performed using thepresent selectively bendable tool is to provide access to a site withinthe interior portions of a person's anatomy, such as in the femoralartery or other vascular or other peripheral vessels, such as a brachialartery. A guide catheter is advanced and the bendable tool of thepresent invention is advanced through an inner lumen of such guidecatheter until the distal end is positioned adjacent to an object, suchas a thromboembolism 50, located in the middle cerebral artery. Thephysician can then operate the trigger on the handle to cause thegrasping assembly so that the jaws 11, net 15, 16 or other graspingelements advance around the thromboembolism 50. In preferredembodiments, there is no need (as in prior art devices) to have thelumen move relative to the grasping jaws/nets so as to constrict the jaw11 elements around a foreign object, as the operation of the trigger 41on the handle 40 acts to pull the cord extending through the hollowcorrugated structure 30, and causes the jaws/nets 11, 15, 16 toencompass or otherwise grasp the foreign object 50 without the need tohave such jaws/nets 11, 15, 16 be in sliding/collapsible contact with acatheter lumen to achieve opening and closing of the gripping elements.It is believed that the present invention, in comparison with prior artdevices, therefore provides for a grasping procedure that is less proneto having grasping elements get stuck at a lumens/interface, and thatthe present invention provides a much more dependable and efficientmanner by which foreign objects can be accessed and grasped, with thephysician controlling the movement of the jaws/nets 11, 15, 16 withouthaving to worry about the lumen/grasping element frictional movementsinvolved with numerous prior art devices. In other words, unlike priorart systems, such as described by Tran in U.S. Pat. No. 6,679,893, byemploying the present invention there is no need to advance a deliverycatheter distally to press against proximal arm sections so as to forcedistal arm sections to rotate radially inwardly to a partiallycontracted configuration so that object engaging members may engage anobject, such as a thromboembolism. Instead, using the present invention,a surgeon is able to operate the trigger hand-held handle to achievegrasping and control of an object.

In yet further embodiments of the present invention, various otherfeatures may be included, such as the employment of magnets, cuttingelements, ligating elements, etc. Detailed support for how such featurescan be implemented will be clear to one of skill in the art as guided bythe present application, as well as the patent references incorporatedherein. For example, magnets may be positioned on the distal end of thedevice, and the jaws/nets may be supplanted with or added to sharpcutting implements 52 to one or both of the jaws such that a severingoperation can be performed. The sharpened cutting jaws 52 canalternatively be operated by a separate handle trigger—or simplyprovided in a fashion such that the cutting blade can be reversiblyretracted by a user (either remotely via a handle trigger operation—ormanually, prior to the extension of the device.) Similarly, suction cupscan be positioned and affixed to the distal end of the device, whetheron the jaws themselves or associated surfaces of the distal end, suchthat additional securement of remote objects is facilitated. Given theflexible nature of the device, it is possible to twist two separateextensions around each other, thus forming a single extension thatcomprises a twisted (helical) portion of a device, which can have twoseparate triggers to operate the pulling of cords extending in theseparate extended, twisted portions. This facilitates further optionsfor a user in certain situations where an additional set of operabledistal features, such as a separate set of jaws, may be useful. Alighting source can also be positioned at the distal end of the deviceso that a user can more readily see the distal end and facilitate properpositioning of the distal end to perform operations, such as clamping ofjaws around a distant object that may be in a darkened environment. LEDlighting sources with small, battery powered energy sources arepreferred, but one of skill in the art will appreciate, given theguidance provided herein, the vast variety of other lightingarrangements and features that can be employed while still being withinthe scope of the claimed invention. A magnifying viewing device (e.g., adistally positioned camera) can also be provided to assist the user inviewing the distal end of the device in particular applications, such aswhen a detailed and sensitive manipulation of a remote object isrequired and the user requires magnification of the distal end toproperly position the device to perform desired functions.

FIG. 15 shows an embodiment where opposing nets 15, 16 and cutting jaws52 are shown to facilitate reduction in the size of an object 50, suchas a blood clot, stone or foreign object, prior to or after grasping theobject within the opposing collapsible nets 15, 16. Thus, in certainembodiments, a physician can operate the trigger 41 on the handle 40 tocause the grasping assembly 10 to cause the jaws 11, net 15, 16 or othergrasping elements advance around a thromboembolism, foreign object orstone 50, and once secured in the grasp of the tool, the object 50 canthen be cut into pieces via one or more cutting operations via thereversible closure of the cutting blades 52, also operable via a cordextending through the corrugated central portion 30 and operablyconnected to a trigger 4 workable by the surgeon. In such a manner, theprior difficulties and problems experienced with attempting to grasp andpull or advance a foreign object (e.g. a stone, thrombus, etc.) througha delicate tissue lumen, e.g., due to the girth and size of suchobjects, is addressed by either cutting such object 50 prior to graspingthe same, or more preferably, by grasping the object 50, either via thejaws 11, spring-like fingers 11 or nets 15, 16 as disclosed herein, andthen closing the sharp cutting implements 52 associated with one or moreof the jaws 11, fingers 11 or nets 15, 16, such that a severingoperation can be performed. The pieces of the object 50 are thusentrapped in the jaws 11 or nets 15, 16 and can be safely removed fromthe lumen without the threat of damage to the lumen tissue upon removal.

Thus, various embodiments are directed to a selectively bendable remotegripping tool for entrapping an object located in an interior portion ofa person's anatomy to achieve its extraction therefrom, the toolcomprising a jaw portion 10 having a pair of net assemblies 15, 16movable relative to each other between fully clamped and fully openedpositions thereof; a handle portion 40 spaced apart from the jaw portion10 by a selectively extendible central portion, the handle portion 40comprising a first manually-actuatable trigger 41 operatively connectedto the jaw portion 10 by a selectively extendible pull member at leastsubstantially disposed within the central portion 70. Actuation of thetrigger 41 is operative to move the pull member to thereby selectivelyposition the pair of net assemblies 15, 16 between the fully clamped andfully opened positions. The central portion 70 preferably comprises atleast two separate portions that include hollow, corrugated members 30that have alternating ridges and grooves, with the central portion7—being bendable so as to position the tool into a desired bentconfiguration. A pull member comprising at least one cord operativelyconnects the handle portion 40 to the jaw portion 10, with the at leastone cord extending through the central portion. Miniature versions ofthe tool are adapted and configured for withdrawing thromboembolicmaterial and other foreign objects 50 from body lumens and cavities,employing a pair of jaws 11, nets 15, 16, or a combination thereof.Thus, in certain embodiments the invention is directed to a method andapparatus for managing polyps by which an elongated corrugated flexiblemember is positionable within a working channel of an endoscopic device,with a selectively bendable central column that at its distal end hasopposing nets 15, 16 that are movable between open and closed positionsvia a handle 40 having a trigger 41 that operates the nets 15, 16, thusallowing a physician to, for example, grasp an object 50, such asportion of a foreign body, a polyp, a clot, a stone, etc. in a fashionthat retains the object for removal with the corrugated flexible member30.

As shown in FIG. 16, other embodiments may include one or more otherfeatures, such as a suction cup, a lighting element 105, a magnifyingviewing device, and a camera may be affixed to a distal portion of thedevice, near to, for example, the gripping portion 10 of the device. Forexample, FIG. 16 shows a lighting element 905 in association with theengagement elements (jaws 11 a, 11 b). Also incorporated herein by thisreference is US patent publication no. 2013/0096457 to Qui, et al. withrespect to various embodiments of lighting elements that may beemployed.

While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described,it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe allpossible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in thisspecification are words of description rather than limitation, and it isunderstood that various changes may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that theinvention is not limited to the precise configuration and componentsdisclosed herein. Various modifications, changes, and variations whichwill be apparent to those skilled in the art may be made in thearrangement, operation, and details of the methods and systems of thepresent invention disclosed herein without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims beregarded as including any such equivalent construction insofar as theydo not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A hand-held gripping device that allows one of asurgeon, a dentist, and an orthodontist to reach interior portions of aperson's anatomy, comprising: a gripping portion comprising a pair ofnets movable between a fully clamped position and a fully openedposition; a handle portion spaced apart from the gripping portion by acentral portion comprising a hollow, corrugated member havingalternating ridges and grooves, the central portion being deformablealong its length for bending and orienting to a non-permanent position,wherein the handle portion comprises a first manually-actuatable triggeroperatively connected to the gripping portion by a pull member at leastsubstantially disposed within the central portion, whereby actuation ofthe trigger is operative to move the pull member to thereby selectivelyposition the gripping portion between the fully clamped position and thefully opened position; said pull member comprising one cord operativelyconnecting the handle portion to the gripping portion, said one cordextending through said central portion, the central portion comprising aplurality of interconnected connectors which together define a singlepassageway through which said one cord passes through; and wherein thecentral portion remains bendable during the actuation of the trigger andthe positioning of the gripping portion between the fully clampedposition and the fully opened position; wherein at least one sharpcutting implement is associated with the gripping portion such that asevering operation can be performed by said at least one sharp cuttingimplement when the gripping portion is in the fully clamped position. 2.The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said central portioncomprises a plurality of connector bodies that interconnect with eachother.
 3. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said deviceincludes a lamp or LED positioned near said gripping portion.
 4. Thedevice as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a locking memberassociated with said central portion to fix two adjacent members of saidcentral portion in an engaged position.
 5. The device as set forth inclaim 1, wherein each of the plurality of interconnected connectors isin engagement with another of said interconnected connectors, therebypermitting pivoting movement with respect to said interconnectedconnectors.
 6. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pullmember is interconnected to the trigger, said trigger being operable bya person's fingers.
 7. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein oneof a suction cup, a lighting element, a magnifying viewing device, and acamera are affixed to the gripping portion of the device.
 8. The deviceas set forth in claim 1, wherein said gripping portion includes amagnet.
 9. A hand-held gripping device for one of surgeons, dentists andorthodontists to reach interior portions of a person's anatomy,comprising: a gripping portion comprising a pair of nets movable betweena fully clamped position and a fully opened position; a handle portionspaced apart from the gripping portion by a central portion, the entirelength of said central portion consisting essentially of a hollow,corrugated member having alternating ridges and grooves, wherein thehandle portion comprises a first manually-actuatable trigger operativelyconnected to the gripping portion by a pull member at leastsubstantially disposed within the central portion; whereby actuation ofthe trigger is operative to move the pull member to thereby selectivelyposition the gripping portion between the fully clamped position and thefully opened position; said pull member consisting essentially of onecord operatively connecting the handle portion to the gripping portion,said one cord extending through said central portion; wherein thecentral portion comprises a plurality of interconnected connectors whichtogether define a passageway through which said pull member passesthrough, said plurality of connector bodies interconnecting with eachother and having a single aperture therethrough through which said pullmember passes through; wherein the central portion remains bendableduring the actuation of the trigger and the positioning of the grippingportion between the fully clamped position and the fully openedposition.
 10. The device as set forth in claim 9, wherein at least oneof a sharp cutting implement, a lighting element, a magnifying viewingdevice, and a camera are affixed to the gripping portion of the device.11. The device as set forth in claim 9, wherein at least one sharpcutting implement is associated with the gripping portion such that asevering operation can be performed.
 12. The device as set forth inclaim 9, wherein said gripping portion further comprises opposingcutting jaws.
 13. The device as set forth in claim 12, wherein said pullmember is interconnected to the trigger, being operable by a person'sfingers, and said trigger further moves said opposing cutting jaws toperform a severing operation.
 14. A hand-held gripping device thatallows one of a surgeon, a dentist, and an orthodontist to reachinterior portions of a person's anatomy, comprising: a gripping portionmovable between a fully clamped position and a fully opened position,said gripping portion comprising a pair of nets; a handle portion spacedapart from the gripping portion by a central portion, the centralportion comprising a hollow, corrugated member having alternating ridgesand grooves, the central portion being deformable along its length forbending and orienting to a non-permanent position; wherein the handleportion comprises a first manually-actuatable trigger operativelyconnected to the gripping portion by a pull member at leastsubstantially disposed within the central portion; whereby actuation ofthe trigger is operative to move the pull member to thereby selectivelyposition the gripping portion between the fully clamped position and thefully opened position; said pull member comprising one cord operativelyconnecting the handle portion to the gripping portion, said at least onecord extending through said central portion; wherein the central portioncomprises a plurality of interconnected connectors which together definea single passageway through which said pull member passes through; andwherein the central portion remains bendable during the actuation of thetrigger and the positioning of the gripping portion between the fullyclamped position and the fully opened position.
 15. The device as setforth in claim 14, wherein said gripping portion is reversiblydissociable to accommodate a user's selection of nets having one ofdifferent types of designs, sizes, mesh patterns and geometries.
 16. Thedevice as set forth in claim 14, wherein said gripping portion is intelescoping relationship with an adjacent portion of said centralportion.
 17. The device as set forth in claim 14, wherein at least oneof a sharp cutting implement, a lighting element and a camera areaffixed to the gripping portion of the device.
 18. The device as setforth in claim 1, wherein said pair of nets comprise at least one tautnet.
 19. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plurality ofinterconnected connectors have no apertures other than the one throughwhich the cord passes through.
 20. The device as set forth in claim 9,wherein said pair of nets comprise at least one taut net.